MSSU Student and Fellowship Awards Recipients for 2016-17

In September, MSSU awarded more than ten studentship and fellowship awards to graduate, PhD, and post doctoral students and fellows who are doing patient-oriented research. The students come from a variety of backgrounds and schools in all three Maritime provinces.

In addition to MSSU Student and Fellowship Awards, the MSSU also supports several Research in Medicine students at Dalhousie University in their summer research program and offers an additional studentship to students of the Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC).

“MSSU works to build capacity for patient-oriented research in the Maritimes,” says Education Coordinator, Stephanie Mason, “A huge part of that is supporting Graduate, PhDs and Post Doctoral Fellows in their research based academic programming. We are literally helping create the next generation of patient-oriented researchers who are already contributing some great research to the Maritime health community.

Students from any discipline can apply for education funding if they are in a thesis based program and focusing on research that focuses on improved patient outcomes or using health administrative data to improve health care.

There is a cap to the total amount a student can receive from all sources. Some students awarded had funding in place from other awards and could only accept their award in honoraria. These students are listed as recipients to express their deserved credit for the merit of their research. The unused funds from this award process will be issued in a second round call for applications, in January 2017.

This year’s recipients include:

Student Name, School

Thesis

Mahmoud Alukayli, Dalhousie

“The impact of the distance of residence from cardiac center on outcomes of coronary revascularization strategies”

“Didactic or Narrative? Assessing the effectiveness of video style on breast cancer patients' view on their workplaces”

Logan Lawrence, Dalhousie University

“Understanding the role of evidence in mental health and additions policy development”

Mike Reid, Dalhousie University

“Does Community Count? An examination of small area variations in repeat hospitalization rates in Nova Scotia”

Hepsi Swarna, University of New Brunswick

“Conduct Disorder among Low-Income Children in Canada: A Focus on Childhood-Onset Conduct Disorder”

Tareq Yousef, Dalhousie University

“The role of contextual processing in pain modulation: a patient oriented approach to managing chronic pain”

Work is underway to improve promotion of the MSSU Student Awards process with the hiring of a new Education Coordinator. Currently, the awards are disbursed through MSSU in Nova Scotia and PEI and through New Brunswick Health Research Foundation in New Brunswick. There have been challenges to effectively promote the awards and garner an adequate number of quality applications. Plans are to find ways to both organize and market the program between the two organizations more consistently. Details about this process will be available in the new year.

There are currently more student funding opportunities available. In New Brunswick, the deadline is December 1, 2016. In Nova Scotia and PEI the funding deadline is January 31. For more information, visit www.mssu.ca.